SARNIA – Behind strong shooting, especially from beyond the arc, the Seneca Sting have punched their ticket to Saturday’s semifinals at the 2020 OCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, presented by Kel-Gor.
The Sting rolled to the 102-73 win over the Saints, keeping their season alive in the process. As a result, Seneca will take on the Humber Hawks on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.
With the loss, St. Clair’s 2019-20 season came to a close. Their trip to the 2020 OCAA Men’s Basketball Championship was their first appearance in the tournament since 2007, a span of 13 years.
Out of the gates, Seneca’s offense was on fire from the field, specifically from long range. In the first quarter, the Sting raced out to a 32-15 lead on the heels of their shooting. As a team, the Sting shot a combined 12-of-18 from the field over the first 10 minutes, including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Jordan Anderson recorded 12 of his 27 points in the first quarter, all of which came from beyond the arc.
In the second quarter, Seneca’s hot shooting cooled down slightly, allowing the Saints to find their rhythm at times. St. Clair’s offense improved, hitting on 50% of their field goal attempts in the second quarter to find some fluidity with their offense. Unfortunately for the Saints, the Sting hit enough big shots to push their lead to 19 before the break was out.
Seneca’s offense was led by its big three of Anderson, Isaiah Ankra, and Dakoda Lewis, the 2020 OCAA East Division Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and All-Canadian. On the day, the trio combined for 81 points to lead the way.
The second half saw the Sting continue their strong shooting ways, stretching their lead as the game moved along. When the final buzzer went, the Sting came away with the 29-point win, 102-73.
Seneca got the bulk of its offense from its starting five, as just eight points came from the bench, all from the hands of Johnny Kitenge. Lewis finished with a game-high 32 points to go along with seven rebounds, earning him Player of the Game honours for the Sting as a result.
St. Clair was led by the pair of David Gomez Jr. and Glynn Willis-Paris, as both scored a team-high 12 points in the loss. Gomez Jr. was named Player of the Game for the Saints.
With the win, the Sting move onto the semifinals, and will take on Humber in what is sure to be an offensive showdown. The Hawks and Sting will take to the court on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m., with a spot in the OCAA Championship game on the line.